Wednesday, July 28, 2010

This is a prologue novel that is currently being posted on SE's Japanese site for FFXIII. As of this post, there is only one of a total three parts of the novel in publication. The first part has seven chapters, which I have currently all translated. This is only the first draft, and I have plans on making revisions.

*While the other part names list the literal Japanese translation of the word, this part alone lists it as something different.

This update is dedicated to Des, without which it might never have happened.

FINALLY the final chapter is complete! I apologize to everyone for taking so long (is it really nearly August?) Thank you all for your patience! If you have any questions, please send them to: lissar@new-lotika.com, as I might not see them if you post them in the comments. Thank you again, everyone!

Note: If anyone wants to repost my translations anywhere, feel free to do so! The same goes for translating my versions into other languages. Just put "Original Translation by Lissar" somewhere and everything will be fine! Just be aware that I will probably be making revisions to the translations at some point, but I will note when that happens.

And if you see any mistakes/awkwardness, or have any other comments, message me about it! I'd like to hear from you.

Thank you very much for this! I feel so lucky that I am able to read a perfect translation of this prologue novel. The story and characters seem so, SO much deeper and I know the game will be so much more enjoyable. Thank you so much! This game is going to amazing!

P.S. where/how did you become fluent in Japanese? I am going to live in Kyoto for a year starting in March as a Foreign exchange student, and I speak a good amount of Japanese as well. However, your translations are absolutely astounding!

I've been studying Japanese for half my life, and spent several years in Japan. One of my degrees was in Japanese literature, and I often read Japanese novels for pleasure. I've pretty much been immersing myself in Japanese culture for a long time, so it's become second nature to me.

Kyoto is lovely! Though I was only there for a couple of days on vacation. I'm jealous of anyone who actually gets to live there!

Thank you, I'm glad you like the translations! Unfortunately I can't take requests for anything as long as a book, though if it is something I'm interested in I may be able to help with much shorter works.

Thanks so much! I was wondering if you would be interested in translating the "Message" section of the Japanese FFXIII site? The creators have messages for the fans and I really want to read them but I have no way to properly identify the kanji.I'd imagine that everybody would be happy if you translated the whole game, since your word choice flows so well; but beggars can't be choosers.

I wish that SE knew that people outside of Japan are also interested in Episode Zero, but you've taken care of this problem for us. Thank you so much for your translations! I've really enjoyed reading it!

Just wanted to say thank you for the translations, had a good time reading them. I was wondering if you would be available for an upcoming project of mine. It's not as crazy as this (or is it?), don't worry, but I'm sure you'd be interested (it does involve FFXIII).

If you would be interested e-mail me at ryuusei841@gmail.com with some sort of contact such as AIM/MSN.

P.S: This would not involve you doing solo work, I am attempting to assemble a team.

Thank you for wanting to help out! I'm not really up to going through a second draft at this time, as I have too many other projects I am currently working on (plus I think SE will probably release their official version soon anyway) but when/if I decide to make a second draft, I may take you up on your offer!

So, have you got the book already or are you not buying it? I would but I don't understand a damn bit about japanese and I can't find any other translation project of the entire novel. Thanks in advance.

I'm still waiting on the game, and since I'm sure they left it out due to spoilers with the game itself, I don't have any plans on translating it until I've finished with the game. So sorry, I won't be able to do it just yet.

Thanks again, you did so wonderful. It was great to get a little bit of story leading up to the game. We're all very excited!

If you'd like something small, there is the FFXIII soundtrack site which has comments from the composer coming out as track samples are put up. That could be fun. I really need to pop in my learning CD and get to more Japanese learning... man, even with 2 years of it from high school, I feel like I don't know much of anything. Use it or lose it, I suppose.

I did enjoy your translations on the webnovell. Therefore I have a question to ask you.

There´s a small translation project going on at FF XIII. I´m wondering if you wanna help out with that. I did enjoy what you did here, so if you did wanna help that would be the best. ;D They have already 10/13 chapter in japanese.

i think there i a mistake in part 1 chapter 2. you wrote:Her cooking always manages to bring in the locals.i don't understand what you meant?did you meant: her cooking is managed to bring in the localscould you make it clear?

This is awesome! I truly appreciate your hard work. Especially since every time a play a final fantasy i feel lost at first. This will definitely help when get the game. I know everyone that is a major fan of the series it fully stocked about the game and even more so that you gave us an epic prologue. So Lissar thanks a ton.

Thanks for this. A lot of translations of stuff like this ends up really choppy and unreadable, but this looks and reads like a professional's work. Hopefully you can take some time off from playing the game (which came out 47 minutes ago) to translate the rest! Good Luck!

In regards to your links to all the pages, you have "Part V: Friends" labeled on the post as "Episode Zero: Part II Chapter One" but you have "Part II: Stranger" labeled as "Episode Zero: Stranger Chapter One"

This is very confusing, is this a overlook or is there some reasoning to it?

It's because when it was originally released, they were released in a different order than they are in the novel. Part five was actually released second, and listed as being part two. I haven't had time to go back and change the headings for all of the old ones yet.

such a great work, thank you a thousand times!I just realized that there are actually 7 chapters, is that right? (And I was wondering the whole time where I missed something in the Fang & Vanille storyline...haha, dumb me! ;) )

I don´t wanna annoy you, sorry when I do so, but when do you think we can expect the missing last two chapters?

I´m planning to translate your version to German then...think it would be much fun!

And btw, does anybody know if SE is planning to publish an official english version of the novel???

Thank you so much. I'm so glad I found your site. Your translation was easy to understand. Can't wait to read the rest of it. *but I'll try to be patient, whether I like it or not.Once again : Many Thanks =D

Hi Lissar! I have a blog too and it's about Fabula Nova Crystallis. Since I found your translations for Episode Zero I've been translating all the chapters to spanish and now I can say that almost all spanish people that have read de novel is because they have read my translation, and that's all thanks to you. Of course, I always mention you because you deserve that and more.

I don't know how to say it >< but I owe you one. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been able to read the novel and to translate it to spanish so a lot of people could read it too. You're amazing, and so is the job you're doing, I admire you a lot.

Many thanks, it is great job ! Just a little suggestion, perhaps for next releases : in translation in other languages, I saw that the character's thinking are put in italic to distinguish from narration, and dialogs. It may be interesting to add this.

I have compiled the whole novel into both an EPUB and a PDF. The EPUB is formatted for nook, but the PDF should be standalone. I have also changed some of the mistranslated names, like Bowdam and such. I do hope you can post this!

thanks so much for translating this! i've heard of it before but never really thought i'd get 2 read it untill i found a link to here on the ff wiki, i've just finished the very first chapter! thanks again!

thanks so much for translating this! i've heard of it before but never really thought i'd get 2 read it untill i found a link to here on the ff wiki, i've just finished the very first chapter! thanks again!

Hi there, I've been reading this translation and I think it's really great ! Do you allow me to translate this in French for http://www.fanfic-fr.net ? I would love to share this with my fellow French FF fans ^^

Anyway, thanks a lot for going through this ! We need more courageous (is that a real English word ? I get so confused sometimes...) translators like you !

Don't know if you already know this but there are FFXIII 2 drama CDs with new chapters on them that haven't been translated yet. The first one, Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise- Fabula Nova Dramatica Alpha has the chapter titled "Real," and the second album, Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise- Fabula Nova Dramatica Omega has the new chapter "Departure." If these could be translated in any way, Episode Zero would be officially complete and it would be greatly appreciated.

Hey, I'm Annabel. Thankyou for your lovely translations! I was wondering if i could use this for a resource for a Episode Zero radioplay i'm starting. I would have to edit some parts slightly for the narrator and the voice actors, to make it a bit shorter. It wouldn't be word for word the same as this. But would you be okay with that? Me using this as a reasource? It would be aired on youtube and be downloadable in chapters like an audiobook. My youtube username is sunheart123. thanks :)

Hey everybody! I've uploaded some episode 0 vids with visuals and audio on youtube and would be very happy if people were to check them out and tell me what they think!Just go to kraid2008's channel or search for episode 0 and you should find them! Many thanks to Lissar without whom none of this would be possible!

Hi Lissar, just wanted to leave a comment to say I'm using this translation on my own website (I wanted to send a private message but can't seem to find a way to send you one), though I've edited it quite a lot to make it seem more "natural".

If you're not happy with me using your translation like this, or if you want to be credited in a different fashion to how I've done so, please feel free to drop me a line at tony [at] ffinsight [dot] com

Nice post. It shows how rich could a literature be in terms of translation.Through translating shows the rich blend of knowledge and culture in a society.Whether in Japanese translation or in any foreign language translation helps one to get acquainted with the thoughts, traditions, principles and actions of the people from the region.Learning different languages is hard but fun.We were able to grasps the culture of every languages we translate.

An old thread I know, but just wanted to let you know that I've compiled an e-book (.mobi) version of your translations: https://github.com/johnnoel/ffxiii-episodezero-ebook. So if the previously linked PDF doesn't suit, there's another option.

Hello Lissar! I have been following your site for a while and I was hoping you could translate the final novel in the XIII series: Final Fantasy XIII Reminiscence. I have not seen as good as translations as your blog does. I think I have the site where you can see it from http://dengekionline.com/elem/000/000/869/869933/

I hope you do write this, I enjoyed the Episode 0 novella and the FNC Mythos.

Hi Lissar! thanks for the translation! your translation is great, the story itself is very interesting and beautiful. If you don't mind i want to translating all chapter to indonesian. I hope many readers in my country who do not play the game will know how good this FFXIII back stories. of course you and the original author would be credited. :)

thank you again, because you, I have been able to read the novel and maybe translating it to my country language. great works Lissar, really appreciate it.

Thanks for the translations! There are two FFXIII -Episode Zero- drama CDs with new chapters on them that haven't been translated yet. The first one, Fabula Nova Dramatica Alpha has the chapter titled "Real -Reality-." The second album, Fabula Nova Dramatica Omega has the new chapter "Departure -Starting-."

I don't know if you're aware of this but there's a multi-chaptered novella in the FFXIII Ultimania Omega titled "Final Fantasy XIII Side Story: A Dreaming Cocoon Falls into the Dawn ." It basically contains stories of a few Cocoon citizens going on at the same time as the game's events; a sort of behind-the-scenes kind of thing. It even reveals what happened to NORA after Snow left them at the Hanging Edge. There is also FFXIII: Reminiscence -tracer of memories- and it's all here on Famitsu: http://www.famitsu.com/sp/140623_ff13/.

If these could be translated in any way, the whole FFXIII story would be officially complete and it would be greatly appreciated.

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